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Middle Schools in Waterbury School District


At a glance
DistrictWaterbury School District144th of 153 Connecticut districtsFull district overview →
3
Schools
2,673
Students
Top rankedMichael F. Wallace Middle School194th of 258 Connecticut middle schools
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Summary:

The Waterbury School District is home to three middle schools serving 2,673 students in grades 4 through 8, with the district ranked 144th out of 153 Connecticut districts (6th percentile). Michael F. Wallace Middle School serves grades 4-8, while West Side Middle School and North End Middle School serve grades 6-8. All schools serve high-poverty populations, with 82-86% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Michael F. Wallace Middle School is the clear standout among the three. It earns the highest state rank (#194 of 258), has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 14.9% — the only school below the state average of 16.4% — and posts the best ELA, math, and science scores. Its 6th-8th grade ELA average is about 33.8% proficient, compared to 31.1% at West Side and 20.8% at North End. Math proficiency is low everywhere, but Wallace leads at about 16.2%, followed by West Side at about 12.1% and North End at about 9.2%. North End is the lowest-ranked school (#237 of 258) and has posted the lowest ELA scores for three consecutive years. West Side stands out for its high chronic absenteeism rate of 26.5%, and it has the weakest 8th-grade math (5.9%) and science (18.5%) scores in the district.

One striking pattern is Wallace's dramatic 5th-to-6th grade achievement drop: its 5th graders posted 79.2% ELA and 75% math proficiency in 2024-2025, but the same cohort scored just 31.6% ELA and 16.3% math in 6th grade. Interestingly, more spending and smaller classes do not translate to better results. North End has the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.9) and the highest per-pupil spending ($17,088), yet the lowest test scores. Wallace has the highest student-teacher ratio (11.4) and lowest spending ($16,242), yet the best outcomes. Middle-grades math proficiency is alarmingly low, with 8th-grade math ranging from 5.9% to 14.5% proficient versus a state average of roughly 42%. While Wallace is the relative bright spot, all three schools trail Connecticut state averages significantly in every subject.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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